Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Turkey: Political Prisoners

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Turkeyabout (1)the number of political prisoners held in that country,and (2) Abdullah Öcalan'sconfinement in isolation.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​​We have an ongoing dialogue with Turkey on a range of political, social and human rights issues, including over the imprisonment of significant numbers of people in the aftermath of the failed 2016 coup. British Embassy officials discussed the imprisonment of Abdullah Öcalan with Turkish officials in mid-January. They also covered the hunger strikes in support of Abdullah Öcalan by Kurdish prisoners, including Leyla Guven MP.

Turkey: Kurds

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whichcivil societyorganisationsthey have fundedin Turkey to develop dialogue about the Kurdish issue.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We have worked with a number of civil society organisations on a range of issues in Turkey, including fostering dialogue on Kurdish and other minority related issues. We do not routinely share details of the organisations concerned for privacy reasons.

Turkey: Press Freedom

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of media freedom in Turkey; and whether the present position there helps or hinders good Anglo-Turkish relations.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We closely follow the situation in Turkey with regard to media freedom and other human rights issues. As a close friend and ally of Turkey we have an open dialogue where we are able to raise issues of concern, including on media freedom. We will continue to engage the Turkish government on these issues and to urge respect for freedom of media, which is essential to the long-term health of Turkish democracy.

Ahmed Aliouat

baroness stern: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of whether there are grounds to raise the case of Ahmed Aliouat with the government of Morocco.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We are aware of the case of Ahmed Aliouat, and of the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention report on his case. Human rights forms part of our ongoing dialogue with Morocco, and we raise concerns where appropriate.

Serikzhan Bilash

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Kazakhstan about the arrest of Serikzhan Bilash; and what assessment they have made of (1) any link between that arrest and campaigns against the detention in Xinjiang of religious minorities; and (2) his well-being.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Mr Bilash has been arrested on charges of hate speech, following allegations he made a public statement calling for "jihad" against ethnic Chinese. He will now be subject to due legal process within Kazakhstan's judicial system. Her Majesty's Government will continue to monitor developments in this case, and will keep under review the question of future representations to the Kazakh authorities.We have serious concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang. We are continuing to monitor reports and gather information about the developing situation, including through conducting official visits to Xinjiang. We work closely with a wide range of international partners – in and out of the EU – to share information and maximise impact. Ministers and senior officials have been raising our concerns directly with the Chinese authorities for a number of years and will continue to do so.

Abdul Shakoor

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last raised the case of Abdul Shakoorwith the government of Pakistan.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of Mr Shakoor's case who is an 84 year old bookshop owner. We remain deeply concerned about reports of discrimination and abuses against the Ahmadiyya community and other religious minorities in Pakistan. The Government strongly condemns the persecution of all minorities, including the targeting of innocent people based on their beliefs.We regularly raise our concerns about the protection of minority communities, including Ahmadiyya Muslims, with the Pakistani Government at a senior level.At the UN Periodic Review of Pakistan’s human rights record in November 2017, the UK raised concerns about limits on freedoms of expression and religion or belief, particularly for the Christian and Ahmadiyya Muslim communities, as well as the increased misuse of terror legislation to portray religious publications of minority communities as hate material.I discussed the treatment of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community and Abdul Shakoor's case with Pakistan’s Human Rights Minister in February 2019 during my visit to Islamabad. I am pleased to report that Abdul Shakoor was released on the 18 March 2019.We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee fully the rights of all Pakistani citizens, including religious minorities, and to honour its international obligations.​

EU Law

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many pieces of EU legislation have been passed as "A" items in the Council of Ministers in each of the last ten years.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold this information centrally. The European Union (EU) website provides information on EU legislation including the number of regulations, directives and decisions adopted by the EU. This information is available by month and by year.

Department for Education

Music: Curriculum

the earl of clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether details of the tender for the new model music curriculum will be published.

the earl of clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music will receive for the tender to write the new model music curriculum.

lord agnew of oulton: The contract for drafting the model music curriculum is worth £4,500. The tender document is attached.



HL_14325_HL14326_Tender_Document_Model_Music_Curri
(PDF Document, 207.02 KB)

Academies: Pupil Exclusions

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they take when Multi Academy Trusts remove significant numbers of pupils off the roll of their schools; and what data they collect on off-rolling.

lord agnew of oulton: The law is clear that a pupil can only be deleted from the admission register on the grounds prescribed in regulation 8 of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 as amended. All schools must notify the local authority when a pupil’s name is to be deleted from the admission register under any of the grounds prescribed in regulation 8, as soon as the ground for removal is met and no later than the time at which the pupil’s name is removed from the register. This applies to multi academy trusts in the same way as it does to state maintained schools.The department does not hold information centrally on the number of pupils taken off roll from any type of school. Local authorities have a duty to make arrangements to establish the identities of children of compulsory school age in their area who are not registered pupils at a school, and are not receiving suitable education otherwise.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

EU Grants and Loans: Cornwall

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plan they have to replace the EU Objective 1 funding programme, with particular regard to Cornwall.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government continues to develop the design and priorities of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The new Fund will seek to improve productivity and reduce economic inequalities. We will consult widely on the fund and the Government encourages all interested parties to take part in this process.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the public consultation and details of the design of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be published; and whether they will provide a timetable of action for the replacement fund to avoid the risk of communities losing billions of pounds of investment once we leave the European Structural and Investment Fund programme.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government will consult widely on the design and priorities of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which will give all interested parties the opportunity to contribute their views. Under the terms of the withdrawal agreement, the UK will continue to take part in European Structural and Investment Funds until the end of the current programme. In the event of a no deal, the Government has guaranteed the full 2014-2020 allocations of the European Structural and Investment Funds. Final decisions on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund are due to be made at Spending Review.

Local Government: Bullying

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they havemade of the adequacy of provisions in place to deal with allegations of bullying by members of local authorities.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: It is crucial that local authority members and mayors inspire confidence and have the trust of the electorate, and that is why I welcome the recent work of the Committee on Standards in Public Life on Local Government Ethical Standards. This concluded that there is a need for some strengthening of the standards and conduct system in local government and for greater safeguards in the delivery of the system. The Government will be responding in due course.

Ministry of Defence

Type 31 Frigates

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the unit price for a Type 31e frigate remains at £250 million as originally projected.

earl howe: It remains the Ministry of Defence's intention to contract for five ships at an average price of £250 million per ship.

Torpedoes

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the consequences of the aging torpedo development and production workforce in the UK.

earl howe: Management of its workforce is a matter for industry. However, the Ministry of Defence keeps the effectiveness of our supply chains under review and will take action where appropriate to preserve our operational advantage and freedom of action.

Department for Work and Pensions

Disinfectants: Regulation

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to emulating the frameworks of countries such as France and Australia for the regulation of disinfectant products sold in the UK.

baroness buscombe: The UK currently operates within a harmonised EU framework for the regulation of disinfectants, under the Biocidal Products Regulation 528/2012. The intention is to continue to operate within the existing framework of rules and standards when the UK leaves the EU.

Home Office

Slavery

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of cuts in financial support to victims of human trafficking and modern slavery offences on charities providing support services to such victims;what aretheir 2019 arrest and charge targets for human trafficking and modern slavery offences; and whether they are on course to meet those targets.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office provides support to victims of human trafficking and modern slavery offences through the Victim Care Contract with The Salvation Army and their twelve sub-contractors. The contract provides a comprehensive package of support, including access to safe house accommodation, outreach support, and medical care including counselling as required.It also provides financial support through weekly subsistence payments. Following the High Court ruling last year in the case of K & AM vs SSHD, the Home Office immediately reinstated the top up paid to those in the Victim Care Contract who are also receiving support from the asylum support system, so that they receive a total of £65 per week. The Home Office has put in place a process to ensure those who have been affected by the judgement receive a back payment. We accept the court’s judgement and are considering this in our future approach to subsistence rates.As with other crime types, the Government does not set targets for the number of arrests and charges; rather, our focus has been to improve the operational response to this complex crime, through for example, bespoke training and dedicated intelligence capabilities.

Asylum: Housing

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the asylum dispersal scheme, especially with regard to its impact on local social cohesion.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office engages closely with Local Authorities, through Strategic Migration Partnerships, on a regular basis to assess the effectiveness of asylum dispersal and discuss issues such as local cohesion. In addition, accommodation Providers must consult on every property that is to be used for asylum dispersal with Local Authorities who will assess its viability in relation to social cohesion, as well as a number of other factors.A governance structure has been established to facilitate a joint review into asylum dispersal which will be co-designed and co-produced by Local Authorities and the Home Office.

British Nationality: Assessments

lord hodgson of astley abbotts: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the undertaking in their response to the report of the Select Committee on Citizenship and Civic Engagement (Cm9629), published on 28 June 2018, that they would respond further on the Committee's recommendations to review the Life in the UK Test, when that further response can be expected.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government has announced that it will review and revise the Life in the UK test and associated text to give much greater prominence to and information on the shared values which we believe underpin society here in the UK. We are currently considering how this will be taken forward.

Refugees: Children

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that refugee children will not lose rights derived from EU law if the UK withdraws from the EU.

baroness williams of trafford: The rights of children granted refugee status in the UK are unchanged when we leave the EU. The UK will continue to be bound by the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights and will continue to provide protection to all those who need it, including children, in accordance with our international obligations.In respect of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking children, Section 17 of the Withdrawal Act requires the Government to seek a reciprocal agreement with the EU to establish a mechanism to transfer children to the UK to reunite with family members.If Parliament accepts the Withdrawal Agreement, the existing provisions in respect of the Common European Asylum System will continue to apply in the transition period. In the event of a no deal, the Government has introduced a ‘No Deal’ Statutory Instrument – The Immigration, Nationality and Asylum (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.

Immigration: EU Nationals

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to secure the status of children who are citizens of other EU member states but who live in the UK with particular regard to ensuring access to (1) social security, (2) study, and (3) work if the UK withdraws from the EU.

baroness williams of trafford: We have introduced the EU Settlement Scheme to enable all qualifying EU citizens, and their family members, to obtain an immigration status in the UK.This status will protect, and enable them to demonstrate, their rights to work, education, healthcare, and other benefits and services in the UK after it has left the EU. The scheme will open in full on 30 March 2019.The Government has been clear that the scheme, and the protections that it brings, will be available in both a ‘deal’ and ‘no deal’ scenario, ensuring that the rights of EU citizens, including children, are protected in every outcome.

British Nationality: Fees and Charges

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether minors will have to pay fees to achieve UK citizenship after any UK withdrawal from the EU; and if so, what those fees will be.

baroness williams of trafford: All minors pay a fee for UK citizenship, which currently stands at £1,012, however, if a minor turns 18 during the application process, an additional £80 will be required to cover the ceremony fee. There are no proposed changes to citizenship fees following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.The Home Office keeps fees under regular review, with the aim of ensuring that those who use and benefit directly from the system make an appropriate contribution towards meeting the costs.

Asylum: Children

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that all asylum seeking children have access to legal aid and advice.

baroness williams of trafford: Unaccompanied asylum seeking children in the UK are placed into the care of local authorities and are provided with specialised legal advice and support throughout this period.The Home Office works closely with the Legal Aid Agency, which administers the legal aid provision, to ensure that there is sufficient legal assistance coverage throughout the UK. In addition, assistance in accessing legal advice is available from the child’s social worker, the Refugee Council Children’s Advice Project for children in England and the Scottish Guardianship Service for children in Scotland.

British Nationality: Fees and Charges

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much it costs for an asylum seeker to apply for British citizenship; whether they make a profit on such fees; if so, why; and what any such profit is used for.

baroness williams of trafford: A person who has successfully obtained indefinite leave to remain as a refugee, may, if they desire, naturalise as a British citizen.The cost for any adult to apply to naturalise as a British citizen is £1,330, which includes the required ceremony fee. The cost for a child to register as a British Citizen is £1,012. However, if a minor turns 18 during the application process, an additional £80 will be required to cover the ceremony fee.No profit is made on fees that are set above the estimated cost of processing. All funds are utilised to run the Border Immigration and Citizenship system.

UK Visas and Immigration: Staff

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many additional staff they estimate the Home Office will need to tackle immigration claims after any withdrawal from the EU.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office plans to deploy resource of approximately 4,250 headcount to support the work to Exit the EU. A proportion of this resource will work on immigration claims.

Crimes against Humanity

baroness stern: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many individuals were subject to adverse recommendations by the Home Office due to suspicions that they were involved in or associated with war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide in each year from 2010 to 2018; and of those, how many have been (1) prosecuted in the UK, and (2) extradited to other countries as a result of such crimes.

baroness williams of trafford: The Metropolitan Police is responsible for the investigation of all allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and torture. The Counter Terrorism Division (CTD) of the Crown Prosecution Service, Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, has responsibility for prosecuting any such crimes and as a consequence would be the relevant authority for such decisions and data regarding the number of individuals in the UK prosecuted for these offences.The Home Office is the competent authority for extraditions from England and Wales to countries outside the EU. Between 2010 and 2018, no individuals were extradited from England and Wales to countries outside the EU for war crimes offences. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own central authorities to deal with extradition requests. Extradition requests to and from the EU are made under the European Arrest Warrant and are dealt with by the National Crime Agency.

Crimes of Violence: Urban Areas

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to meet Police and Crime Commissioners of the seven cities most affected by the recent outbreak of violent crime to discuss how best to tackle such crime; and if so, when.

baroness williams of trafford: Tackling serious violence is a top priority for the Government and it is clear we must continue to step up the response to stop this violence. The Serious Violence Strategy sets out the Government’s approach, which depends also on a multi-agency approach across several sectors and stresses the importance of early intervention to tackle the root causes.Home Office Ministers have invited all Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales to a meeting on Tuesday 19 March to discuss what action is already being taken in each area and what more can be done in partnership to tackle serious violence. This builds on roundtable meeting with Police and Crime Commissioners on 5 November 2018.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Brexit

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the proposed Brexit deal (1) fulfils, and (2) is consistent with the spirit of, Article 50(1) of the Treaty on European Union.

lord callanan: Article 50 (1) of the TFEU states that any Member State may decide to withdraw from the EU in accordance with its own constitutional requirements. The decision to permit the Prime Minister to notify (under Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union) of the United Kingdom’s intention to withdraw from the EU, was approved overwhelmingly by Parliament through the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Act 2017.Under the terms of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, the withdrawal agreement may be ratified only if the negotiated withdrawal agreement and the framework for the future relationship have been approved by a resolution of the House of Commons.

Treasury

Taxation: Electronic Government

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what experiencethose responsible fordevelopingthe Making Tax Digital policy have of running a small business.

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatresearch theyhave done into the time and costs for small and medium-sized enterprises of implementing the Making Tax Digital scheme.

lord bates: HMRC has worked extensively with stakeholders across the business and accountancy fields to help shape the design and timing of Making Tax Digital (MTD). The Government is confident that MTD will be delivered in a way that works for businesses of all sizes and sectors. HMRC has published an Impact Assessment for MTD which was developed in consultation with external stakeholders, and informed by both quantitative and qualitative evidence.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Social Enterprises

baroness mcgregor-smith: To ask Her Majesty's Government what supportthey are giving to social enterprise start ups in the UK.

lord ashton of hyde: The Civil Society Strategy sets out a long term vision for how government will work for and with civil society, and recognises the importance of responsible business and social enterprise in creating meaningful social value for civil society and the UK economy. To build on the UK’s reputation as a global leader in social enterprise, this government continues to champion procurement for social value, support campaigns that raise awareness about the positive impact of purposeful businesses, build the social investment market, and support social enterprises to address issues at scale.For example, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has committed £3million to supporting the growth and sustainability of mutuals. This includes a package of support announced in January 2018 worth £1.7million to help new mutuals to emerge and existing ones to grow. The Department for Business, Economy and Industrial Strategy has also invested over £56m in the network of 38 Local Growth Hubs across England. In 2017-18 Growth Hubs helped over 130,000 businesses, including social enterprises, and over 8,000 individuals to start-up, thrive and grow. A further £12m has been committed for 2019-20.The Business Support Helpline also provides trusted and impartial advice to businesses across England. In 2018 it helped around 31,500 businesses, of which 65% were entrepreneurs and start-ups. The government continues to develop online support through GOV.UK, ensuring businesses including social enterprises can access the key information they need on running their business any time they wish.